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Liddell: Chael self-promotion bad, Jones should have fought Chael

In a recent interview with MMAJunkie's Steven Marrocco, UFC Hall of Famer said he doesn't appreciate the way Chael Sonnen sells fights.

“Chael’s a nice guy," said Liddell. "I’ve met him and hung out with him. I like him, and he’s a nice guy. I can’t stand the way he promotes fights.

“I understand what he’s doing; he wasn’t the most exciting fighter, so he made himself exciting by promoting the fight really well, and he got himself a couple of title shots for it. It works, but that whole crazy WWE-type stuff, that over-the-top stuff when you’re fighting a guy, doesn’t make sense to me, and I don’t like it.

“But it is what it is. Some of the fans like it, and it gets people to watch fights, that’s fine.”

“Some of the things he said, as far as I’m concerned, are over the line. Unless you’re known as an actor or being a WWE guy, you can get away with some of that stuff because everybody knows it’s fake.”

Sonnen was recently in a brawl with Wanderlei Silva on the set of TUF Brazil 3, that left both fighters banged up, and delayed their fight.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean to start it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he crossed the line and Wanderlei took a swing at him,” said Liddell. “Everyone has a line, and especially fighters.”

Liddell also recently appeared on The MMA Hour, and took Jon Jones to task for not fighting the late replacement Sonnen; this led to the canceling of UFC 151, which was to have been on 1 September 2012. It is a little ironic that Liddell chose to criticize Sonnen, as his antics, and his fortitude, led to the title shot offer. Further, given Jones aggressive style of play, telling him to go after it more seems a little unwarranted.

"I would have done anything just to keep the fight," said Liddell said. "I'll fight anybody. I've already done all the training and I've already gotten ready for it. I'm in great shape and I'm the best light heavyweight in the world, I shouldn't be afraid to fight anybody."

"I think people liked the way I fight. My style of fighting is to go down and trying to finish the guy and trying to end fights, not laying up because I'm winning the fight, just keep going after it.

"I think pulling out of [UFC 151] really fight really hurt him with the fans. That was, you're fighting a guy coming up from a weight class down, who, when you're given a chance, I heard an excuse about him being a southpaw, I mean, c'mon, you fought a [lefthander] the fight before. And it's not like Chael is a slick southpaw, a slick striker, he's a brawler with the stance because he shoots that way. Pulling out of that probably hurt him with the fans, I mean, it's just I think some of the stuff he says they don't agree with. You can't have everything."

"I like Jon, I think he's a good guy. I'd like to see him get after it more and try to finish more. But he's tough man, he's doing what he does."

People still don't realize it wasn't Jon Jones fault for that PPV being cancelled, no one wants to admit Hendo was responsible for not being more transparent about his injury.

As for Chael, he sells fights and gets people invested and interested in the outcome. A lot of MMA fighters are bland and horrible on the mic, it was just a matter of time that people realized talking with help not hinder. Fighting will always be the forefront but some trash talking is good for the sport, its not going to hurt the image thats for sure.

Originally Posted by Trojan Fight Club

well now I've seen War Machine's dick. fantastic.

Originally Posted by GL Jeff

Ill go against the grain.
Werdum via triangle
Someone needs to cheer for those poor souls.

People still don't realize it wasn't Jon Jones fault for that PPV being cancelled, no one wants to admit Hendo was responsible for not being more transparent about his injury.

As for Chael, he sells fights and gets people invested and interested in the outcome. A lot of MMA fighters are bland and horrible on the mic, it was just a matter of time that people realized talking with help not hinder. Fighting will always be the forefront but some trash talking is good for the sport, its not going to hurt the image thats for sure.

Im not a Hendo fan at all, but he got hurt and COULDN'T fight. Jones simply didn't WANT to fight.

It was both men's fault... Hendo should have come forward faster so they had more time to find an opponent, and Jones should have accepted an easy win. The UFC was at fault for not creating a card strong enough to bare the loss....

My style of fighting is to go down and trying to finish the guy and trying to end fights, not laying up because I'm winning the fight, just keep going after it.

Lol. Is this the guy who looked at the clock then went for a takedown in the biggest fight of his career?

I haven't been too critical of that move but come on, Chuck.

I actually still respect Jones' reasoning for avoiding the Chael fight to start off. It would be crazy to train for a right-handed, flat-footed power-puncher who gets the majority of his takedowns from the body lock and then turn around and fight a left-handed, GNP volume fighter who shoots power doubles all night long.

Also, didn't Henderson's camp delay the fight in order to make Sonnen, who had been training for Jones using inside knowledge of the injury, the only option?

Last edited by SimpleJack; 04-22-2014 at 08:12 AM.

You say shark I say hey man, Jaws was never my scene and I don't like Star Wars

People still don't realize it wasn't Jon Jones fault for that PPV being cancelled, no one wants to admit Hendo was responsible for not being more transparent about his injury.

No. You can't simply hang the PPV on one person, and by that statement, I'm including not hanging it on Jones as well.

As for Chael, he sells fights and gets people invested and interested in the outcome. A lot of MMA fighters are bland and horrible on the mic, it was just a matter of time that people realized talking with help not hinder. Fighting will always be the forefront but some trash talking is good for the sport, its not going to hurt the image thats for sure.

I couldn't disagree with this more.

MMA has always been primarily focused on what happens in the ring or the cage. Compensating for a lack of excitement by diverting attention to what happens outside of the cage is weak at best, and can certainly be detrimental to the sport.

Originally Posted by the_dark_angel_4ever

Im not a Hendo fan at all, but he got hurt and COULDN'T fight. Jones simply didn't WANT to fight.

Anyone is free to disagree with me, but this is how I see it:Zuffa brass is at fault for putting out an oversaturated and diluted product, where the fate of a card literally hangs on the ability of the main event to sell it. This was bad practice when Affliction did it [basing the fate of not just a single event, but their entire promotion on Fedor/Barnett] and it's still bad practice.Henderson certainly bears some blame, but you also have to take into consideration two things that factored into his decision: His medical staff gave him hope that he could recover enough to fight. How would he have felt if he told dana--who is likely going to scrap it and go with plan B right away--and then he recovered enough to fight in the intervening three weeks? You also have to consider that dana has been cavalier with title shots, and that Henderson has been burned before after earning one. Even if he was 100% up front with dana and allowed a replacement to come in, there isn't any guarantee that he'd get the next shot when he recovered. If dana is giving credit for making a decision that puts business first, why wouldn't you extend the same degree of appreciation to Henderson?dana bears additional blame, because once he heard about the injury, he overreacted and announced a replacement without having the courtesy to sit down with Jones and confirm. Once again, he emotionally jumps the gun--even though doing so bites him in the ass repeatedly--and disrespects his champion. None of this was good for business. Not to mention, his previous practice whimsically handing out title shots and going back on his word influenced Hendo's decision.Jones bears some of the blame as well. He's more than happy to be crowned p4p king [by people who don't know a goddamned thing about pound for pound, at least] but he's always shown a tendency to take the path of least resistance and never take risk unless the reward is overwhelmingly in his favor. Be that as it may, he still made the same type of business decision that Henderson or dana made--looking out for himself, most of all.

The only real difference is that Jones could have erased the self-involved failures of the other contributors, had he chosen to take the fight. As Chuck [and Cat] pointed out, if he had the heart of a champ, he could have saved the day. Jones does not have the heart of a champion. It was an opportunity to be a hero, but an opportunity missed.

Instead, sonnen--who made an incredibly mercenary move that literally 100s of fighters would make in the same situation--ends up looking like the hero to the punters. Weird.

Originally Posted by The Return Of......

I mean can you imagine Chuck turning down a fight like that? Never would have happend

No, I can't. I can think of dozens of fighters who would have taken it.

I think the point there was that Hendo knew he was hurt much earlier and could have spoke up sooner. Had he done that it would not have been last minute.

I think the factors I'd mentioned can't be overlooked there.

Originally Posted by SimpleJack

Lol. Is this the guy who looked at the clock then went for a takedown in the biggest fight of his career?

This. That shit still bothers me.

I haven't been too critical of that move but come on, Chuck.

I actually still respect Jones' reasoning for avoiding the Chael fight to start off. It would be crazy to train for a right-handed, flat-footed power-puncher who gets the majority of his takedowns from the body lock and then turn around and fight a left-handed, GNP volume fighter who shoots power doubles all night long.

I get that, too, but I think the only way a Jones/sonnen bout is even remotely competitive is under those under-trained/unprepared circumstances.

Also, didn't Henderson's camp delay the fight in order to make Sonnen, who had been training for Jones using inside knowledge of the injury, the only option?

I thought that was debunked. I can't remember who said it, but I found them to be more trustworthy than sonnen saying he didn't know about it. Although if it was confirmed, I would have missed it. The whole thing got so pathetically melodramatic I stepped away from any of it for a while. It was way too soap opera for me.

rh

All manner of men came to work for the News: everything from wild young Turks who wanted to rip the world in half and start all over again -- to tired, beer-bellied old hacks who wanted nothing more than to live out their days in peace before a bunch of lunatics ripped the world in half.

I thought that was debunked. I can't remember who said it, but I found them to be more trustworthy than sonnen saying he didn't know about it. Although if it was confirmed, I would have missed it. The whole thing got so pathetically melodramatic I stepped away from any of it for a while. It was way too soap opera for me.

You could very well be correct. I also stepped away from the situation due to so many people screaming in both directions.

You say shark I say hey man, Jaws was never my scene and I don't like Star Wars